Automobile buffer



G. A. LYON.

AUTOMOBILE BUFFER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21, 1921. RENEWED JAN. 26, 1922.

1 ,42 3, 5 '72. Patented July 25, 1922.

40y wii 35 K1 @MW GEORGE ALBERT LYON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMOBILE BUFFER.

inaasaa.

Application filed May 21, 1921, Serial No. 471,873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that l, G-nonen ALBERT LYON, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have made a certain new and useful Invention Relating to Automobile Buffers, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the same.

This application is a partial continuation of the copending Lyon application N0. M8,- 500 filed February 28, 1921; that is, this case contains subject matter taken therefrom.

This invention relates especially to resilient strip automobile buffers or bumpers which are especially desirable for use with the present type of automobiles which are constructed with low hung frames. It is often desirable to bring at least some c0ntact portions of the front or impact receiving members of the buffer up above the buffer supporting arms and end loops, and for this purpose it is desirable to have the spring steel or other front strips similarlyupwardly arched or bent so as to form substantially or exactly superimposed contact portions which may be adjustably or otherwise clamped or fastened to form a mutually reenforcing buffer front. It is usually desirable to have the resilient end loops of the buffer arranged in a substantially horizontal plane and the central portions of the buffer front members and impact receiving strips may be vertically bent or arched so as to form substantially superimposed. contact portions which are considerably above the end loops and when straight form a desirable adjustable connection between the spring strip members when these reenforcing contact portions are adjustably clamped together to it different width automobiles. Of course such a buffer may in some cases be advantageously turned upside down when used as a rear buffer, so that the contact portions are then arranged below the end loops which is usually desirable when the buffer is connected to the higher frame members in the back of the automobile. Any suitable form of connecting means may be used to connect, preferably in an adjustable manner, the cooperating contact portions of the buffor front, so as to preferably form substantially superimposed overlapping and mutually reenforcing front impact members comprising several thicknesses of resilient strip Hatented July 235, i922.

Renewed January 26, 1922. Serial No. 532,034.

material. In some cases it is advantageous to have the impact receiving members comprise sinuously bent contact portions, so that each of the resilient strips may comprise one or more single width portions downwardly bent and also upwardly bent with respect to the plane of the connected attaching memher and end loops if desired.

In the accompanying drawing showing in a somewhat diagrammatic way various illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. l is a front perspective view showing one form of buffer for use on the front of an automobile.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding perspective view of another illustrative butler.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section thereof, taken substantially along the line of F 1g. 2.

Fig. l is a corresponding perspective view of another illustrative bumper.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section thereof, taken sublstantially along the line 5-5 of Fig. l; anc

F 6 is a corresponding perspective view 7 form the buffer of two similar strips 0 I" such resilient material and as shown in Fig. l, one of the strips may comprise the atta(-.l1i1'l member 6, to be clamped or connected to the frame of the automobile or vehicle-while the spring strip also comprises the end loop 5, and the impact receiving or buffer front 1. adjacent the end loop may be arranged in substantially the same horizontal plane as the end loop and connecting attaching member if desired. The inner or central portion of the buffer front strip may be vertically arched or bent as at 7, so as to form a vertically displaced contact portion. 8 considerably above the connected end loop and at taching member. The other spring strip may comprise an attaching member l and end loop 3, the outer portion 2 of the impact receiving or buffer front member may as indicated be on substantially the same horizontal plane as the end loop. The inner porv tion of this buffer front strip is similarly upwardly vertically bent as at 10, so as to form a similarly substantially straight upwardly displaced contact portion 11, which is thus adapted to be substantially superimposed upon the contact portion of the cooperating front strip and these mutually reenforcing front strips may be adjustably or otherwise clamped or connected by any suitable means as by the enclosing clamping members 14, 15 which maybe arranged adjacent the inner ends 9, 12 of these spring strips. This form of adjustable connection of the superimposed contact portions of the front strips provides the desired width adjustment of the buffer, so that it can fit automobiles having frame members of differ ent width and the buffer front not only has a more pleasing appearance, but it is also considerably stronger and more rigid because these overlapping strips are substantially superimposed and held in such close contact by the desired number of clamping members. The buffer is preferably used in the position shown in Fig. l on most automobiles of the low hung frame type but on automobiles with special high frames or when used as a rear buffer and secured to the rear automobile frames which are usually considerably higher, it is often advantageous to reverse the position of the buffer so that the vertically displaced contact portions are arranged below the end loops instead of above them. In either case the buffer front is thus given a greatly increased vertical width adapted to engage and cushion the impact member of another automobile or object under collision conditions, and if desired the total width of the different vertically displaced parts of the buffer front may be as much as-five or six inches or more.

Fig. 2 shows another illustrative arrangement in which the upwardly or vertically bent contact portions 8, 11 are arranged in substantial alignment and adjustably or otherwise connected by cooperating connecting means forming overlapping mutually reenforcing front impact members. Such connecting means may be generally similar to what is shown and described in the Lyon Patent No. 1,325,732 of December 23, 1919, and may comprise one or more front reenforcing plates or strips 17 of spring steel or other material through which may extend the connecting bolts 18 having the nuts or fastening devices 19 on their other ends. These bolts may extend through any suitable slots or spaced apart holes in the aligned connecting portions 8, ll of the buffer front arips so as to make possible the desired adjustment of the width of the buffer and enable it to fit automobile frames of different width. Also if desired one or more back reenforcingmembers or strips such as 16 may be used to still further reenforce and strengthen this vertically bent or displaced central contact portion of the buffer.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 4 in which the adjustableconnecting means are of the same type as in the Lyon Patent.No. 1,325,733 of December 23, 1919, the adjacent ends or connecting portions 20, 21 of the strips 8, 11 may be substantially aligned end to end instead of being superimposed as in the previous cases. The connecting means in this case may comprise the front reenforcing member and also if desired the back reenforcing strip 25, either or both of which may have vertically aligning flanges as indicated in Fig. 5. Also if desired one or more additional reenforcing strips or members such as 27 may be used in this front impact portion of the buffer to still further increase its strength and all of these parts may be securely and adjustably connected as by two or more connecting bolts 23, which may pass through suitable holes or slots in the different members and be tightened by the nuts 26.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 6, ear-h of the front impact receiving members is shown as sinuously bent and the member 3 adjacent its end loop may for example. comprise the downwardly bent contact portion 28 and the upwardly bent contact portion 30, extending below and above the plane of the connected attaching member 4 and end loop 3 if desired. The central or connecting ortion of this contact member which may If desired end at the point 32, is preferably substantially straight and in about the same horizontal plane as the cooperating connecting portion of the other strip which may end at 33, and as indicated may be aligned end to end or arranged in overlapping position if these connecting portions are formed long enough for this purpose. Any desirable form of connecting meaus'may be employed for connecting and reenforcing these portions preferably adjustably, and the connecting bolts 23 and front and back 'reenforcing members 22, 27 may if desired be used for this purpose. The other attaching member 6 may have the end loop 5 merging into a similarly downwardly bent contact portion 29 and upwardly bent (0Yl tact portion 31 which extend downward and upward with respect to the plane of the connected attaching member and end loop if desired. In this way the total Width of the vertically displaced single width parts of the buffer front may be still further increased and may be as much as six to nine inches or more if desired.

This invention has been described in connection with a number of embodiments, forms, proportions, parts, arrangements, materials, methods of connection and use, to the details of which disclosure the invention is not of course to be limited, since what is claimed as new and what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. The automobile buffer comprising two integral spring steel strips having greater vertical width than thickness and each comprising an attaching member and intermediate end loop and an impact receiving buffer front member having a substantially straight connecting portion arranged substantially in line with the corresponding connecting portion of the other strip adjacent the central part of the butter, and adjustable connecting means connecting said connecting portions and forming substantially superimposed reenforced members to strengthen this central contact part of the buffer, said impact receiving members being similarly sinuously bent between ther end loops and connecting portions to form superimposed central contact portions vertically displaced with respect to said end loops and attaching members.

2. The automobile buffer comprising two integral spring steel strips having greater vertical width than thickness and each comprising an attaching member and intermediate end loop and an impact receiving bu'lfer front member having a connecting portion arranged substantially in line with the corresponding connecting portion of the other strip adjacent the central part of the buffer, and connecting means connecting said connecting portions and forming substantially superimposed reenforced members to strengthen this central contact part of the buffer, said impact receiving members being Similarly upwardly bent between their end loops and connecting portions to form superimposed central contact portions vertically displaced with respect to said end loops and attaching members.

3. The automobile buffer comprising two spring steel strips having greater vertical width than thickness and each comprising an attaching member and intermediate end loop and an impact receiving buffer front member having a substantially straight end connecting portion arranged to cooperate with the corresponding connecting portion of the other strip adjacent the central. part of the buffer, and adjustable connecting means connecting said connecting portions and forming substantially superimposed reenforced members to strengthen this central contact part of the buffer, said impact receiving members being similarly upwardly arched between their ends and connecting portions to form superimposed contact portions vertically displaced with respect to said end loops and attaching members.

4;. The automobile buffer comprising two spring steel strips having greater vertical width than thickness and each comprising an attaching member and intermediate end loop and an impact receiving buffer front member having a substantially straight end connecting portion arranged to cooperate with the corresponding connecting portion of the other strip adjacent the central part of the buffer, and connecting means connecting said connecting portions and forming substantially superimposed reenforced members to strengthen this central contact part of the buffer, said impact receiving members being bent between their ends and connecting portions to form superimposed contact portions vertically displaced with respect to said end loops and attaching members.

5. The automobile buffer formed of resilient steel strip having greater vertical width than thickness and comprising end loops and impact receiving buffer front members having similarly sinuously bent contact portions vertically displaced below and above said end loops, and connecting means to adjustably connect said contact portions and form superimposed mutually reenforcing central impact receiving members.

6. The automobile buller formed of resilient steel strip having greater vertical width than thickness and comprising end loops and impact receiving bufler front members having sinuously bent contact portions vertlcally displaced below and above said end loops, and connecting means to connect said contact portions and form a central buffer front having a single width throughout.

7. The automobile buffer front formed of resilient steel strip having greater vertical width than thickness and comprising impact receiving buffer front members having similarly sinuously bent contact portions vertically displaced below and above the said ends of said butler front, and connecting means to adjustably connect said contact portions and form superimposed mutually reenforcing central impact receiving members.

8. The automobile bufi'er front formed of resilient steel strip having greater vertical width than thickness and comprising impact receiving buffer front members having bent contact portions vertically displaced above the said ends of said buffer front, and connecting means to form a single width central impact receiving member.

" GEORGE ALBERT LYON. 

